How to deter your dogs from chewing your shoes

We love them! 

He is so sweet and innocent.

But not all the time. 

We have not had a puppy for over 15 years but needed to replace one.  Fifteen years ago we did not wear sheepskin slippers. Now I know why so many people come to me every year telling me they need to replace their slippers for their dog destroyed them.

I am now a owner of a damaged slipper.

Luckily the insoles of most of our styles are replaceable for mine are now bare.

It's a simple fix, plus I am learning to keep them off the floor.

We sell replacement insoles on our website to make it less costly.

Read further for how to possibly prevent damaged shoes down the road.

FACE IT, DOGS LIKE TO CHEW!

Dogs love to chew. You’ve probably seen your dog chewing on everything from the toys you give them to rocks they dug up from the backyard. But one thing you never want to see your dog chewing on is your shoes.

Dogs can't touch things to learn, so they learn by chewing. It all starts during puppyhood when puppies use their mouths to explore just about everything they come into contact with. 

Unfortunately, your shoes are one of the most attractive items to your dog. They smell like you, strongly, and they’re just the right combination of soft and durable to give them a real good chew session.

But you don’t want to replace your slippers every week and you definitely don’t want to start feeling resentful towards your dog for chewing up your slippers. So, what can you do?

Well, we’ve found seven solutions for you. Try any or all of these simple tricks and you should be able to get your dog to stop chewing your shoes today. 

Seven ways to Stop your dog from Chewing Your Shoes

1.Use Chewing Deterrents

One of the simplest and easiest ways to stop your dog from chewing on any specific item, including shoes, is to spray the items you don’t want to be chewed with an anti-chewing spray. These sprays are completely safe for your dog. Almost as importantly, they’re non-staining and won’t damage your shoes or whatever else you spray it on.

There are plenty of chewing deterrent sprays on the market, but we have gotten great results from Chew and Heal No Chew Spray for Dogs from Amazon.

2. Provide a Chew Toy

For many dogs, simply providing them with an alternative toy to chew can be enough to stop them from chewing your shoes up again. The key is to find a toy that your dog really enjoys chewing. Not every dog is going to like the same toys, so you might have to experiment with a few and find the ones that really resonate with your pooch.

3. Discipline During Chewing

Sometimes, our dogs just don’t know that what they’re doing is wrong and it takes a little bit of discipline to get the message across. But the key here is timing. Discipline with dogs is only effective if it can be administered at the time of the transgression. If you find a chewed shoe but it’s not in your dog’s mouth, then it’s already too late for discipline.

That said, if you do happen to catch your dog in the act of chewing your shoe, then you’re in the perfect position to make it clear to them that this is unacceptable behavior. With a firm voice but no anger, command your dog to drop the item.

4. Trade a Chew for the Shoe

You could think of this as redirecting your dog’s chewing. When you find your dog chewing your shoe, simply trade one of his favorite chew toys for your shoe. 

5. Keep Them Out of Reach

It stands to reason that if your dog can’t get to your shoes, they can’t chew them. Try putting all of your shoes in a closet or some other place where your dog can’t reach them. This will also work with anything else you don’t want your dog to chew.

6. Limit your Dogs Access

Of course, keeping your shoes and other chewable items locked away in closets and behind other closed doors isn’t the only way to keep them out of your dog’s reach. You could also limit your dog’s access to the house. Walk down our hallway during the day and it is quite dark for all the doors are closed to the bedrooms.

7.Exercise and Engagement

Many dogs are chewing out of boredom or an excess of energy and our puppy is no exception. One of the best ways to do this is to engage them mentally and physically in some strenuous exercise.

The most exercise that many dogs get is a short walk once or twice a day. While this may be sufficient for some very small breeds, it’s not going to be enough for most mid-sized and larger breeds.

Tug of war is another great game to play with your dog that will help to get rid of that excess energy that often manifests as chewing. Plus, you can teach your dog how to drop something on command while you play this one!

Our little guy is 12 weeks old now and we are getting adjusted to him and what he wants. But his big thing now is grabbing a mouthful of moss in the yard and bringing it inside to chew on.

What's next? Who knows but we went out today for some more fencing for the raised garden beds.